NIKITA SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE infirmary. She had been free to leave the moment Madam Pomfrey healed her busted nose and bruised cheeks, but she had insisted on staying with the bat.

Hagrid had identified it as a type called Pteropus - better known as flying foxes. And a baby one at that. They're mega bats and grow to be one of the largest type's in the world. They usually live in warm countries (see: not Scotland) but this one had probaly been smuggled in and magically modified to thrive in the cold instead.

They were a vegetarian species, and commonly ginger. So, rather like a Weasley. Their wing span could grow up to six feet - which was exactly what Hagrid predicted the little guy Nikita had found would grow to be.

Madam Pomfrey had healed him, but the little guy refused to leave Nikita's side, in fact, it was quite cuddly. She looked up at Mcgonagall again with pleading eye's.

"No." The woman repeated sharply, "You are not keeping that thing."

"Now now Minnerva," Dumbledore spoke up, entering the ward. "He hasn't hurt you,"

"He's a bat!" The woman cried, "It's against school rules! It clearly states in every acceptance letter that a student may only have a cat, owl or toad, that is not a toad!"

"Ron has a rat!" Nikita blurted out, cradling the sleeping animal in her arms. It was wrapped in a lemon coloured blanket Dumbledore had conjured up the night before and she held a bottle in her hand. "And he's all alone, Ms Minnerva. I can't let him get hurt."

"We'll take him to the vet," She replied flatly.

"I'm sure arrangements could be made," Dumbledore said lowly, avoiding Mcgonagall's eye as she gave him a death glare. "After all, I doubt he would survive in Asia now that he has been genetically modified. For all we know Pomfrey's treatment could become undone thanks to the spell,"

Nikita nodded along furiously, though she had no idea what he meant, it seemed like he was agreeing with her. "Oh please Ms Minnerva! Please! I'll look after him, I swear! And he won't get in the way of my school work, I'll work real hard! The twins could baby sit and Hermione helps, please!"

The old woman sighed, dropping her head in her hands. It should have been obvious Sirius had raised the child the moment she refused to call her professor. "Oh for heavens sake!" She threw her hands up, "You're just going to smuggle it any way. But I am warning you Nikita, if the quality of your school work drops even a little- it's gone!"

"Thank you!" Nikita jumped up, giving the old woman a one armed hug. She let go, "I promise it won't, I promise!"

Dumbledore smiled, before clearing his throat. "I do believe you have some visitors."

The infirmary doors opened and Hermione rushed inside, dragging Ron and Harry behind her. "Nik! Oh thank heavens! There were all sorts of rumours that you had gotten lost and when they found you you were covered in blood- what's that?"

Mcgonagall and Dumbledore quietly dismissed themselves, leaving the group of second years alone.

"He's my new pet!" Nik stated proudly, showing off the baby bat. Ron's jaw dropped. "They're letting me keep him!"

"Where on earth did you get that?" Hermione asked, dropping into the seat beside her friend.

"I found him, he was all alone and hurt, I couldn't leave him," Nik whispered, watching him begin to fall asleep.

"What's his name?" Harry spoke up, not seeming all that fazed.

"Heka."

***

"He stinks!"

"He does not!"

Nikita walked with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil to their defence against the dark arts class. Considering Hermione always walked with Ron and Harry these day's, Lavender offered herself and Parvati to Nik's class buddies.

It was Halloween, and the last class of the day. Heka had settled into castle life quite well. Although, according to her dorm mate's he had a tendancy to cry when Nikita left, and had developed a taste for Pomegranates.

"What do you think Nik?"

"Huh?" She looked up from her bag, where she had been seeling up a pack of Heka's favourite snacks she had smuggled from the great hall.

Lavender huffed, "About Seamus!" A giggle escaped her lips. "He's cute, isn't he?"

"I mean... he's human? And I've seen uglier?" She replied awkwardly, "He does have freckles. My da-... my uh, my dad said that's attractive." Nik felt her cheeks flush. Did she just call Sirius dad?

"See!" Lavender said triumphantly. "Even Nikita likes him!"

Parvati rolled her eye's. "He's stupid. He's so loud and boyish, and he keeps blowing up everything!"

"Isn't he attractive though?"

Parvati groaned.

They walked into Gilderoy Lockharts class room, quickly taking their seats. The man himself was too busy making facing at himself to notice their immediate arrival, so they took their seats.

Draco Malfoy sauntered into the room, and Nikita instantly remembered what George told her about Slytherin's.

He looked disappointed to see that the golden trio had skipped class, so his eye's fell on Neville Longbottom instead. A sneer crossed his face and he shoved the boy's arm's off his desk. "Alright, Fatbottom?"

Crabbe and Goyle let out a 'ooh!', like Draco had just delivered the greatest insult of the century.

"L-leave me alone!" Neville stumbled out, leaning away from him.

"L-l-l-leave m-me a-a-alone!" Draco mocked, laughing.

Nikita frowned.

"Yeah, that's what he said," She spoke up, drawing wide eyed looks from her class mate's.

"Stay out of this, mudblood!"

"Oh no..?" She replied questioningly. "You called me wet dirt? I'm so hurt?"

"Nik!" Lavender hissed warningly.

"What? Is that all he's got? Wet dirt?" Nikita stood up. Despite her malnourished form, she was actually quite tall for her age. Not Weasley tall, but certainly the third tallest in their year in Gryffindor. Draco blinked, obviously not predicting her height. "I have a dictionary you know, in case you want to look up the words leave me alone."

"I'm not stupid!" Draco spat out, "How dare you talk back to me, know your place, filth!"

Nikita's expression hardend. She had been called that enough in Azkaban, she knew who he was going to grow up to be.

She seemed so unrecognizable as she drew herself to her fullest height and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eye's crinkled as the shadow on a knowing smirk appeared on her face. It was a move she had seen Sirius pull so mamy time's, she knew it by heart.

"Oh, I get it now, you're a purblood inbred," Student's gasped in shock, looking at the scene before them like they were witnessing history. Which they probaly were. Draco stilled, his face gobsmacked. "You bully people because the only time your daddy paid attention to you was when he was picking on you. You may say 'my father will hear about this', but he won't actually care, will he?"

"How dare you!" He screeched, "You're nothing but a dirty bitc-"

"Hey!" Lavender cut off, standing up with wand in her hand. "That's my friend you're talking to! And vulgarity is no substitute for wit, Malfoy! If you can't come up with a good come back, sit down!"

Crabbe took a step forward- but stopped when Parvati's butch form stood up behind Lavender. "Or better yet," She added, "Don't give what you can't take, big mouth Malfoy,"

Nikita looked at them in surprise. They gave her a nod, as if to say 'we've got your back'.

"In other words," Seamus Finnigan stood, dragging Dean Thomas up with him. "Leave Neville alone, big mouth Malfoy, and don't insult girls- people- who stand up for themselves!"

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle looked around at the five Gryffindors standing with their wands out and glares on their faces.

He scowled-

A loud screeching noise came from Gilderoy's desk. He turned around, a shocked expression on his face. "Oh," He muttered fearfully, "Oh my. Oh dear. Uhm, follow me you lot!"

He darted out of the room and they quickly followed him, hurrying to keep up.

He lead them to a hallway just outside the great hall. Gasps of horror escaped them as they saw the care takers cat, Mrs Norris, hanging from the ceiling in front of them.

And on the wall behind her, written in blood, were the words 'Enemies of the heir, beware!'

And who was surrounding the corpse you may ask?

Why it was the golden trio of course.

***

A/N

LET ME JUST STATE - That it is NOT a good idea, under any circumstances, to keep a bat as a pet. Okay? This is a fictional book- for the love of god don't take life advice from it.

Also here's sum facts about flying foxes-

Here's how big they can grow-

And here's how Heka looks now-

And in case any re-readers are wondering, yet he will be taking the place of Hecate.

Q: Vegetarian or meat eater?